Raetihi is important to New Zealand's history. The town was founded in 1893 following the government's purchase of the Waimarino land block in 1887. Initially the only access to Raetihi was from the sea at Wanganui via river steamer up to Pipiriki. 1917 saw the first road from Wanganui to Raetihi, and also the railway. In Maori, Raetihi means "seen from above"; as seen from Ohakune. Raetihi; a unique example of a pioneer timber town whose residents, responding to the challenges of the 21st century, pay tribute in restoring their main street to the daily life and work of their ancestors. Visit the oldest theatre in the southern hemisphere, the museum and the old railway station.